Tony Linsley is one of our intrepid maintenance and monitoring engineers working behind the scenes to ensure your network continuity. Here is some information on what makes him tick.

When did you start working at Systeem?I started at Systeem in September of 2013.

What kinds of projects do you like working on?I enjoy working on a wide variety of projects which is good because Systeem definitely delivers variety. That said, my favorite projects focus on the network infrastructure for our clients — from reconfiguring a server to adding a storage device to fixing backups. Although it was my interest in PCs that originally brought me into IT, it is network infrastructure that keeps me hooked.

What’s your technical “pet peeve?” My biggest technical pet peeve would have to be lack of documentation. As a technician, I understand all too well that documentation can be tough. It’s not that documenting things is all that difficult, but when you have a bunch of tickets needing attention, you want to move on to the next ticket as soon as you finish the one you are working. I think this is natural, but the little bit of time it takes to properly document something can mean the difference between success and failure (or at least save a lot of time) for the next technician who comes along. I certainly won’t claim that I flawlessly document everything, but I strive to be better about doing so every day, and I know I am better at it than I was when I started three years ago.

What do you do for fun?I admit it, I’m a nerd. Actually, scratch that; I take pride in being a nerd. As one might expect from the previous statement, most of my interests tend toward the nerdy. One of my favorite hobbies is playing video games (I tend to favor RPGs and strategy games, though not exclusively). I also really enjoy science fiction movies and TV shows. Lately, I have been spending a significant amount of my free time playing Magic: The Gathering (it’s a trading card game I have been playing off and on since I was about 12) with my friends, and am even thinking about becoming active in tournaments again. Beyond that, I enjoy traveling (I love road trips but hate flying) and just spending time with friends and family.

How do you gauge success for your clients?I think the best way to gauge success for our clients is by how well we are helping them meet their needs and reach their goals. Every organization is different, and what they need from their information systems will be different as well. For most organizations, information technology is merely a means to an end. It is important to understand the specific needs and goals for each of our clients so we can provide guidance that will help them achieve success.